Wednesday, 25 January 2023

30 Ways To Wear: Magenta Balenciaga Day Hobo Bag | Magnificent Magenta

This quarter's Magnificent 8 collaboration post theme is magnificent magenta! And with it being so close to the end of the month when I usually do my 30 ways to wear posts, what better time to share 30 ways you can wear this marvellous magenta Balenciaga day bag?



30 Ways To Wear: Magenta Balenciaga Day Hobo Bag


30 Ways to Wear: Magenta Balenciaga Day Hobo Bag #30wears | Awayfromblue


I'm surprised I haven't done a 30 ways to wear post with this bag yet, it's one of my favourites! It's definitely my favourite Balenciaga pink too. I have owned a few bags in this colour, which came out in 2005 over the years, but this style made it a keeper in my wardrobe. It's no secret I like bright and colourful bags, and this isn't even my only magenta bag.... But a magenta bag goes with so many more outfits than you'd think!

Cost Per Wear

I got lucky and picked this Balenciaga day bag up preloved at the end of 2015, for just $607. Despite being a 10 year old bag at the time, it had such a vibrant vivid magenta colour, and hardly any signs of wear. 7 years of me owning it later, and it still looks just as good as it does when I got it - Balenciaga bags slouch so beautifully as they age! Being a bit of a splurge, although I've worn it a lot (50 times so far), it works out to $12.14 per wear at the moment. Much higher than the $1 per wear most people aim for for value for money, but pretty good for a spendy buy, and one that will be in my wardrobe permanently, getting the cost per wear down even lower!



It took me quite a while to go through all the 50 times I've worn this magenta bag and come up with just 30 of my favourite outfits! I picked a few outfit and colour formulas to share with you, to give you an idea of how versatile a magenta bag could be in your wardrobe. Here are some of my favourite ways to wear it.


30 Ways To Wear: Magenta Hobo Bag | Video Style




Magenta Bag In Office Outfits


black outfit ideas with magenta balenciaga day hobo bag awayfromtheblue

I love wearing my bright and colourful bags into the office! It's nice to have a bit of colour on your desk through the day while spending hours sitting at a computer. And of course, these 4 outfits show the easiest way to wear any bright colour - pair it with black! With all the black and the other neutrals in these outfits, it makes the magenta bag really pop.


Magenta Bag with Blue Outfits


5 ways to wear blue and magenta outfits with magenta balenciaga day hobo bag awayfromblue

It's no secret I love blue and pink together. Having so much blue in my wardrobe, I've worn this magenta bag with every shade I own, and it always looks good! From the pastel baby blue skull scarf, denim dresses and skirt, even a cobalt scarf, magenta just works with any shade of blue.


Magenta Bag With Purple


magenta hobo bag with purple outfits awayfromblue

Magenta being the perfect blend of pink and purple together means it looks so good worn with other purple pieces. You don't have to go big and bold like I have with the purple printed dress in the third outfit, you can try the colour combination on a smaller scale with a purple scarf. A bright scarf and bag are a fun way to add colour to a neutral layered outfit in winter too.


Magenta Bag With Tee and Denim


magenta hobo bag and denim and tee outfits awayfromtheblue

Forever a staple outfit, a classic tee and denim formula is a go to the world over. To make it just a little different from a standard basic formula though, you can add a bright bag. And this fun magenta bag is definitely bright enough to add more interest to any version of denim and tee you wear!


Magenta Bag With Matching Magenta Accessories


magenta balenciaga day bag in 5 outfits with matching magenta  awayfromtheblue

Since magenta pairs so perfectly with blue, and I have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, I also have quite a few other magenta pieces. It's fun to make a matchy-matchy outfit and wear more than one magenta piece at a time. From a pink skull scarf to a magenta cami peeking out from under a dress, or a larger matchy-matchy with the magenta cardigan and bag together! Even if the pink in that last skull scarf isn't quite magenta...it's close enough to make my matchy-matchy self happy!


Magenta Bag and Printed Dress Outfits


magenta balenciaga day hobo bag and printed dress awayfromblue

A big bold block colour hobo bag like this Balenciaga day bag is so easy to wear with statement printed dresses. You can try coordinating like I have with the pink and purple dress in the third outfit there, or just have the bag be a bright pop of colour and contrast against the print like I have in the other three outfits.


Magenta Balenciaga Day Bag In Pregnancy


4 pregnancy outfit ideas with magenta hobo bag awayfromblue

I always love putting pregnancy photos in these 30 ways to wear posts. Because not every item of clothing will be wearable through all 3 trimesters of pregnancy and beyond, but a handbag sure will! A big practical hobo bag like this, it got a lot of wear over my last pregnancy.


Where To Buy The Balenciaga Day Bag:




More Outfit Ideas:

For more outfit inspiration and ideas, you can view all 50+ ways I've worn this bag in my blog archives, or browse the complete 30 wears series.


Similar Posts In The 30 Wears Series:




The Magnificent 8

The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration of 8 stylish women, ranging in age from early 20’s to early 80’s. The mission of this collaboration is to showcase how ageless style is. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out all 7 of these other amazing ladies!





Every quarter, the group chooses a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices. We post them on the last Wednesday of every third month. Check out everyone’s posts with the links above for style inspiration at any age as they show you their magenta outfits!


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Friday, 13 January 2023

What I Bought in December - Massive Opshop Haul!

I've previously shared my annual fashion spend and what I bought in 2022, but really wanted to make a post sharing my December purchases.

As usual, I'd finished my Christmas present shopping before December, so was ignoring all the pre-Christmas sales. Until I got the notification that my local opshop was finishing out the closing days of the year before Christmas with a "fill a bag for $10" sale.

This time it wasn't just clothes, it was anything in the store that you could fit into a bag, and you paid $10. If it didn't fit in the bag, it was just $1. The kids and I had a great time shopping - toys, puzzles, games and books for them, and a few new items of clothing for me!


What I Thrifted In December:



  • thrifted Kmart black and white embellished cover up
  • thrifted Kmart dusty rose cami (left out of video accidentally!)
  • thrifted No label chambray tie strap cami
  • thrifted Cotton On orange and white stripe The One crew neck tee
  • thrifted Forever 21 wine ribbed knit jumper
  • thrifted Valleygirl navy jersey blazer
  • thrifted Kmart rust button up linen blend skirt 2020
  • thrifted Kmart fuchsia linen blend shorts 2020
  • thrifted Kmart mustard linen blend pull on shorts

This whole haul was just $10! Everything works out to less than a dollar if you consider the things the kids got as well which I didn't include in the video. Such bargains!

I always aim to wear everything I buy within the month I buy it. It's something I started doing after having too many unworn pieces in my wardrobe during a clean out. It works pretty well and slows down my impulse buying, but I definitely threw that goal out when buying these pieces - I wasn't going to have enough days left in December to wear everything I bought, but I knew they'd get a lot of wear in 2023.


The only seasonal appropriate piece I haven't worn twice yet is the dusty rose cami - but January has been a bit of an unexpected one and I'll hopefully get to wear it tomorrow. The blazer and wine knit I will be able to enjoy when the weather cools.



Here's how I've worn it all so far:





I of course got a few things added to my wardrobe as Christmas presents too, like this dress, and this bag, so I'm excited for all the new outfit combinations I'll be able to wear for 2023! It's helped me ignore all the January sales, got so many new outfits I want to try from the pieces in my own wardrobe.





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Thursday, 29 December 2022

What I Bought in 2022, and Fashion Resolutions For 2023

Just like last year and the year before, I'm looking back at all my fashion related purchases over the past 12 months. Seeing if I came under the spending goal I set myself in 2021, and how much I've been wearing all of the things I bought.


what i bought in 2022 fashion spend for the year style blogger awayfromblue


What I Bought & How Often I Wore It


It's always my goal to wear things twice in the month I purchase them. This stops me having items taking up space in my wardrobe unworn for weeks, and ensures I'm buying practical pieces that work for my current lifestyle. I don't always achieve that goal. Once again this year I went to the pre-Christmas sale at the opshop where I filled a bag of toys, clothes, books and games for just $10. It meant I had a lot of great value clothing items added to my wardrobe at under $1 each, but also sadly no time to wear them all with just a week and a half left in December! Giving myself a pass for that though, I know I will get a lot of wear from these pieces in the new year, just as I did with the pieces I picked up last year.


Opshop and Preloved Buys:

  • thrifted no brand navy grid print scarf - worn 3 times
  • thrifted Eb&Ive black wooden bead multi strand statement necklace - worn 5 times
  • thrifted Ghanda midi slink skirt in green mini blossom - worn 4 times
  • thrifted Kmart pastel soft culotte shorts in floral print - worn 3 times
  • thrifted Forever 21 wine ribbed knit jumper - 0 wears
  • thrifted Kmart dusty rose cami - worn once
  • thrifted Kmart black and white embellished cover up - worn once
  • thrifted Kmart rust button up linen blend skirt - worn once
  • thrifted Kmart fuchsia linen blend shorts - worn once
  • thrifted Kmart cumin linen blend pull on shorts - 0 wears
  • thrifted No label chambray tie strap cami - worn once
  • thrifted Cotton On orange and white stripe The One crew neck tee - worn once

Things Bought New:

  • Silver chain handbag strap - worn 3 times
  • Kmart long sleeve black tie neck dress in floral wisteria print - worn 4 times

The least worn were those late December opshop finds, naturally. Just not enough days left in December to wear them all when I bought them! I'm pleased to see I wore everything else a good number of times, and of course the Chloe Marcie bag was my most worn purchase of the year, which was fitting as it was such a big splurge!



Fashion Spend For 2022 - Under Budget!


This year was an interesting one, in terms of things I bought I don't think I've ever added so few items to my wardrobe in a year before! I only bought 18 things. All of them were preloved buys expect for 2. The floral Kmart dress I picked up in the store clearance sale, and I bought a new handbag strap as well. Everything else was an opshop (thrift store) find or a preloved find online. I'm really pleased I shopped second hand so much this year, it was one of my goals!

Although I didn't buy a lot I did have a few splurges in there, meaning that I spent more this year than last year. In 2021, I bought 26 items, and spent $580.63.

This year, I bought 18 items and spent $943.84.  Under my $,1000 budget and 36 item goal I set last year! And if you exclude the massive over $800 splurge on the Chloe Marcie bag, it would have been a very low spend year instead. Definitely felt like treating myself though, even if that one item took up most of my budget.



Fashion Resolutions for 2023


Much like last year, I have the same goals for my fashion spend in the year ahead:

  • Spend Less - $1,000 limit, but always trying to see how little I need to buy, and working on reducing impulse buys.
  • Shop Second Hand More - it would be good to have an entire year of nothing more than preloved additions to my wardrobe, although I'm certainly not going to turn down a retail sale bargain if I see it! Just like this year, having the majority of my fashion purchases being pre-loved will achieve this goal.
  • Buy Less - I bought under 20 items this year, would be good not to buy more than 20 next year!


Have you set yourself any goals or resolutions for your spending on fashion in the year ahead?



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